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Daily Archives: April 22, 2012

A South Brunswick High product, Mohamed Sanu set a Rutgers and Big East record with 115 receptions to go along with 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns last fall, (Photo by Mark R. Sullivan/Home News Tribune)

After announcing his decision to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft in January, Mohamed Sanu was projected as a late first-round pick. Then came his NFL Combine performance, when he turned in a solid workout and decent numbers in everything but the most publicized skills challenge. Yes, Sanu posted a disappointing 4.67 seconds in the 40-yard dash but most figured he stiff-armed those questioning his speed by clocking a 4.41 and 4.48 before scouts from 24 NFL teams inside the Rutgers Bubble last month.

Perhaps he did, but with the three-day NFL Draft set to begin Thursday night Sanu is still being projected as a mid-second round to early-third round pick by several prognosticators.

Sanu is virtually nonexistent in the deep passing game. He is slow off the line and doesn’t have the speed to get behind NFL corners. He can get lazy in and out of his breaks downfield, and he almost loses interest in competing once the route gets deeper than 7 to 10 yards. He is not an explosive athlete with the ball in his hands and simply gets what he can after the catch.

That assessment seems a bit harsh, but if Sanu indeed slides late into the second round or worse then we’ll know that’s the belief among NFL talent evaluators. But as the old saying goes, ‘It only takes one team to fall in love with you,’ and it’s still quite possible that Sanu’s Big East-record 115 receptions will speak for itself come Thursday night.

Here is a look at some mock drafts throughout the web, with Sanu going as high as the 25th pick in the first round and as low as the 6th round:

For months, they have been evaluated both on tape and on the field, where they’ve participated in position-specific drills under the watchful eye of a timer. After a brutal stretch of workouts and interviews, the players who will get picked in this week’s NFL Draft now have nothing left to do but wait.

It’s a calm before a storm that will see personnel directors from 32 NFL teams shape the lives of 263 young men when the three-day NFL Draft begins Thursday night at Radio City Music Hall.

“It’s very nerve-wracking for the most part,” recently graduated Rutgers running back Joe Martinek said. “The past couple of weeks and months has basically been a waiting game, working out every day and trying to improve on things and trying to get my name out there. After Pro Day and team workouts, you get a little impatient because it’s two or three weeks of just waiting.”

Click HERE to continue reading how NFL Draft prospects are sweating out the final days leading up to selection process.

In this video, former Rutgers running back Joe Martinek discusses what it’s been like to showcase his skills for NFL scouts and decision-makers heading into this week’s NFL Draft. Rated as the No. 1 fullback prospect by NFLDraftbible.com, Martinek hopes to be either a late-round pick or an undrafted signee by this time next weekend.

Bobby Deren, a national writer for Rivals.com and author of “Draft Season: Preparing for the NFL,” discusses the process college football players go through while showcasing their skills for the NFL Draft.

There are several reasons to be optimistic Last season, just over half of the team’s scoring and three of the top four scorer’s on the roster resided in the backcourt. Corey Sanders led the way with 12.8 points per game, followed by Nigel Johnson with 11.3 points per game, while Mike Williams added 9.4 points […]